In Brief

Wagon Wheel project breaks ground

After arduous court battles to preserve the historic Wagon Wheel Motel and Restaurant as well as civil litigation regarding contractual obligations with former developers and, of course, the topsy-turvy economy, Forrest Lucas and Carl Renezeder of Oxnard CRFL Partners are finally ready to get things moving. Lucas and Renezeder bought the property in 2010, but other developers had plans for the property dating back to 2005.

On March 20, the developers will break ground on the first phase of the project — the Wagon Wheel Family Apartments, which will be located at the corner of Cactus Drive and Buckaroo Avenue. Over the next 18 months, a total of 120 apartments, ranging from one- to four-bedroom affordable housing units, will be constructed on the four-acre site. The residents of the Wagon Wheel Trailer Lodge, the nearby mobile home park, will get the first chance to rent apartments in the complex.

The entire development, on 63 acres, which will include the demolition of the bowling alley and the ice-skating rink in the years to come, will comprise 1,500 apartments and single-family homes, 50,000 square feet of commercial space, and 7.4 acres of parks, recreation and open space.